2013 Lexus GS 350

Just unveiled at Pebble Beach, a big change in attitude is shown for the Lexus GS sedan.

It was 1990 when Toyota decided it was time for a luxury division and it decided to pattern its upscale Lexus unit after Mercedes, offering German levels of quality and quietness at Japanese import prices.

Now Toyota is looking to reinvent Lexus again. While it has a sterling reputation for quality, it has been less than exciting in the styling and performance departments. With the 2013 Lexus GS 350, the division hopes to remake its image not so much along the lines of Mercedes, but rather, this time around, Audi, which has staked its reputation on design, performance and technology.

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This new tack is most evident in the nose of the new GS—while the concept shown at the New York Auto Show had a gaping maw, the production version is toned down considerably, but still, the look is more Ingolstadt than Stuttgart. Think Audi's single-frame grille opening with a pinched waist. Then there is the requisite use of LED running lights and a fairly fast greenhouse for a 4-door sedan.

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These styling cues, we are promised, will be adapted to other models in the Lexus lineup. While Toyota's luxury make seeks to redefine its look, close inspection of the new GS shows that it has lost none of its penchant for attention to detail. Exceptional build quality is a Lexus hallmark, one that the make will not surrender. Along with it, renewed attention on interior design and materials is also evident. And from a dimensional standpoint, the new GS delivers greater front and rear headroom, more trunk space and a 2-in.-wider track. The latter not only helps interior accommodation, but also signals significant upgrades to the vehicle's dynamics. A recalibrated suspension gives the car a more nimble feel, as we learned earlier in autocrossing some camouflaged prototypes. Offered in a choice of rear- or all-wheel-drive, the GS—which weighs 3715 lb.—rides on standard 17-in. wheels but can be equipped with optional 18s or 19s. The all-wheel-drive system splits torque from a straight up 50/50 distribution to as much as 30 front/70 rear, depending on driving conditions.

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The 2013 Lexus GS 350 is being launched with a 303-bhp 3.5-liter V-6 coupled to a sequential shift 6-speed torque-converter automatic, same as the car it replaces. The transmission features four modes, Normal, Eco, Sport S and (with the right choice of option) Sport S+ , which alter the gear change intervals and throttle-blip downshifts to match the driving style. The factory says the car, which makes 277 lb.-ft. of torque, can accelerate to 60 mph in 5.7 sec. and is good for an electronically limited top speed of 142 mph. In a bow to tighter fuel economy standards, the 460 model with its V-8 power has been dropped from the line, but look for a new hybrid model to be positioned as the top performer in the GS line. Pricing and fuel economy of the 2013 Lexus GS 350 have yet to be announced. Expect to see it and its siblings in early 2012.

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